Pipe lifting and lowering jack.



T. M. SMITH.

PIPE LIFTING AND LOWERING JACK.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1910.

1,018,936. Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

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CCCCCCCC PLANDGRAPH CO., WASHINGTON, D. C.

T. M. SMITH. PIPE LIP-TING AND LOWBRING JACK.

. APPLIOA'I'ION FILED MAY 19, 1910. 1,018,936. Patented Feb.27, 1912.

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THOMAS MONROE SMITH, OF MULLIN, TEXAS.

PIPE LIFTING AND LOWERING JACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Application filed May 19, 1910. Serial No. 562,292.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mullin, in the county of Mills and State of Texas haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe Lifting andLowering Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for raising and lowering pipe out ofor into a well, or raising and lowering pipe in like situations, and theobject of the invention is to provide a verysimple, durable andeiiicient mechanism for the purpose whereby a length of pipe may bepositively clamped, shifted, held in its lifted position and againlifted,.until the whole length of pipe has been carried upward, orwhereby the pipe may be clamped, lowered into the well a certaindistance, again clamped and again lowered.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which may be convenientlyoperated by one.

or a number of operators, and which will also hold the pipe that awrench may be used for the purpose of removing couplings or unscrewingtheir joints.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of one form of my inventionl Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection thereof, on line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical section onthe line 33 of Fig. 1-. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of another form of myinvention. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing means whereby theoperating levers are connected to the yokes, and Fig. 6 is a perspectivedetail view of one of the pipe gripping dogs and its releasing treadle.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying, drawingsby the same reference characters.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 it will be seen that my device comprisesa, base of any suitable character, but shown as being formed of arectangular frame composed of parallel spaced bars 2 and 3, and end-bars4. Mounted at each end of the frame and attached to the side bars by thebolts or rivets 5 are the yokes 8. These yokes are U-shaped and are heldin rigid relation to the side-bars of the frame by means of diagonalbrace-bars 9 which are riveted at their ends to the yokes 8 and to theside-bars. the yokes 8 are connected by the longitudinally extending bar10 which is arched at its middle as at 11. The middle portion of thisbar 10 is laterally curved or deflected as at 12. Attached to the middleportion of the bar 10 and opposite to the deflected portion 12 is themember 13. This memberis pivoted to the bar 10 at one end and at theother is engaged with the bar 10 by means of a clip or other fasteningdevice 14. It will be seen that the deflected portion of the guide-bar10 and the curved member 13 together form a pipe guide and support.Mounted between.

the yokes 8 and movable vertically therein is the movable frame 15 whichis rectangular and which has the'spaced side-bars l6 and the end-bars17. The side-bars at each end are provided with outwardly projectingstuds 19 which contact with the inner edges of the yokes 9 so as toguide the movable frame between the yokes, these studs being preferablyprovided with the anti-friction sleeves 18. Pivotally supported in thebase frame are the oppositely disposed pipeengaging dogs 20 and 21,these dogs at their rear ends being pivoted upon bolt-s 22 which passthrough perforations in the side-bars 2 and 3. These dogs extend towardeach other and are provided with cross-pieces 23 1 which overlap theside-bars 2 and 3 and act to support the dogs at a slight upward in- Theupper ends ofwardly bent at their ends and'eXtend over the edges of theside-bars 16 so that the dogs are supported in an upwardly inclinedposition. The biting edges of the dogs are slightly concaved so as toget a good engagement upon thepipe. In order to provide means forlifting the movable frame I pro vide the frame at opposite ends with thelinks 30. Theselinks are approximately U- shaped, and the opposite armsof the links are connected to the opposite side-bars of tached at itsupper end to the curved middle portion 12 of the cross-bar 10 as shownclearly in Fig. 3. The lever 32 is pivoted to this vertical bar and actswhen it is depressed to raise the links 30 and thus raise the frame 15.It will be seen that as the frame is raised the dogs thereon will gripthe pipe and as it is lowered, said pipe being held stationary, the dogswill slip or slide down over the pipe so as to get a new grip thereon.For the purpose of releasing the Y pipe from the grip of the dogs 21 Iprovide a treadle 36 which is pivoted upon a bracket 37 attached to oneof the sidebars 3 of the base frame, the inner end of the treadleextending beneath the dog 21 so that when it is depressed the dog may beraised. It will be obvious that this treadle might also be operated byhand provided it is placed in a convenient place for this purpose. I donot wish to be limited to the positioning of this treadle or lever. Itwill, of course, be obvious that the frame could be so arranged that itmay be placed in position around a pipe without the necessity of liftingthe frame and putting it down over the pipe. To this end I form one ofthe base frame members, as for instance, the bar 2 in two sections,the-adjacent ends of which are spaced from each other as at 38 so as toprovide an opening by which the device may be slid laterally over thepipe to be operated upon. F or the same purpose I form the correspondingside-bar of the movable frame 15 in two sections. This side-bar,however, as it is subjected to considerable strain must be provided withmeans whereby the two sections of the side-bar may be connected. Forthis purpose I provide a sliding sleeve 39 which is slotted as at 39through which slot passes a. pin on the side-bar 16. After the devicehas been placed upon a pipe this sleeve is moved back and over the spacebetween the two sections of the side-bar so as to make the side-barpractically integral.

The construction which has heretofore been described is adapted to beused by one man and is intended for very light work. In order that mymechanism may be used for very heavy work, I have modified it as will benow described, and as shown in Fig. 4. In this last named constructionthe movable frame instead of being operated by one lever, located at themiddle thereof is operated by two levers projecting out from the ends ofthe frame. The treadle whereby the dog 41 is operated projects also outfrom the end of the frame. This construction provides means whereby twooperators may lift the pipe or lower it, while a third operatoruncouples the joints of the pipe.

Referring now to Fig. 4, 40 designates th base frame which isrectangular as previously described, and is provided with the oppositelydisposed pipe gripping dogs 41 pivoted at 42 in precisely the samemanner as the dogs previously described. Attached to the opposite endsof the frame 40 are the upwardly extending U-shaped yokes 43 of the sameconstruction as the yokes 8 previously described, and connecting theupper ends of the yokes is the longitudinally extending pipe guiding bar44. The middle section 45 corresponds to the section 13. The yokes43 andthe frame 40 are connected by the diagonal braces 46. Themovable frame47 is of precisely the same construction as the movable frame heretoforedescribed, and is provided with the dogs 48 of the same character andshape as the dogs 25 and 26. The movable frame at opposite ends isprovided with the bifurcated links 49 of the same form as the links 30.So far the construction is precisely the same as that heretoforedescribed. Depending from the upper ends of the U- shaped yokes 43 arethe eye-bolts 50. The lower ends of the bolts are formed each with aneye 51. Mounted in each of the eyes 51 is a lever 52 whose handle endproj ects outward and whose inner end is hooked shaped as at 53 toengage with the eyes 49 of the links 49. It will be obvious that upon adepression of the free ends of the levers that the frame 47 willberaised and that the dogs 48 will grip the pipe being operated on andraise the same, and that when the pipe has been raised to the. fullextent of movement of the levers 52 that the dogs 41 will engage thepipe to hold it raised. A reverse movement to that above described willof course lower the pipe. The treadle instead of extending out towardthe side of the frame, is attached to one of the dogs 41 and thenext-ends upward and then parallel to the dog 41 and out at the end ofthe machine, this treadle being designated 54. The principle of theoperation of both of these devices shown is precisely the same, thedifference in construction being simply for the purpose of permittingmore power to be applied to raise or lower the pipe.

The operation of my device will be obvious from what has gone before. Ifit is desired, for instance, to lift a pipe, the machine is placed overthe pipe with its lower dogs in engagement on either side thereof. Themovable frame is then depressed to as great an extent as possible, thedogssliding over the face of the pipe, and the levers 52 are thenoperated to raise the movable frame.

As the movable frame rises its dogs willbite the pipe and lift the same,the pipe sliding over the edges of the dogs on the lower frame. When theend-levers have been depressed to their utmost extent they are movedupward. This releases the dogs of the movableframe and the pipe willimmediately slip downward were it not for the dogs on the base framewhich grip the pipe and hold it in posit-ion until the dogs on themovable frame againgrip the pipe for a lifting action. In lowering thepipe the same operation takes place. The movable frame grips the pipeand lowers it and when the movable frame has reached the limit of itsmovement and is about to be lifted the lower dogs will grip the pipe andhold it in place until the pipe is again engaged by the dogs on themovable frame.

It will be obvious that in this operation it is necessary to raise oneof the dogs on the fixed frame, and it is for this purpose that thefoot-lever or arm 54 is provided.

lVhile I have shown both of the dogs on the base frame or on the movableframe as being pivoted, it will be obvious that only one need bepivoted, the other being made rigid with the frame. I do not wish to belimited to the precise construction illustrated, as it is obvious thatmany changes might be made without departing from th spirit of theinvention. It will also be plain that while I have shown my pipe liftingmechanism in two separate and distinctforms illustrated in Figs. 1 and4, yet that the mechanism can be so made that it may be provided bothwith the lever 32 and the levers 52 so that the device may be formedeither into a machine operated by a single operator or capable ofoperation by two operators. To change the machine from the form shown inFig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 4 it is only necessary to detach the links30 from the arms 33, remove the lever 32 from the upright 35, place theeye-bolts 50 in the yokes 8 and connect the levers 52 with the eyes inthe links 30. One of the dogs 20 and 21 and one of the dogs 25 and 26may be a fixed dog if desired, and yet operate in precisely the samemanner, though not as conveniently as with the construction shown.

While it is not absolutely necessary, it is convenient to provide one ofthe dogs 8 with an operating lever 55, whereby the upper set of dogs maybe easily released from the pipe.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A pipelifting device of the character described including a baseframe,supports on the ends of the base frame, a transverse cross-bar on saidsupports having means for guiding the pipe, a movable frame guided bysaid supports, a lever for raising the movable frame relative to thebase frame,

and dogs on the base frame and movable frame for engaging a pipe.

2. A pipe lifting mechanism of the character described comprising a baseframe, oppositely disposed dogs mounted in said frame adapted to engagea pipe, supporting yokes at the ends of the base frame, a pipe guidingbar mounted on the upper ends of the supporting yokes, a movable framehav ing sliding engagement with the yokes and mounted in alinement withthe fixed frame, pipe engaging dogs mounted on the movable frame andoppositely disposed to each other, a lever operatively mounted upon thebase, and a link engaging the lever with the movable frame,

3. In a device of the character described, a base frame composed ofparallel side-bars, dogs pivotally supported between said sidebars,means for supporting the dogs in an upwardly inclined direction,oppositely dis-. posed yokes on the ends of the frame, a longitudinallyextending guide-bar mounted on said yoke, links attached to the movableframe, means for engaging the links to raise or lower the movable frame,and oppositely disposed dogs pivoted on the movable frame and extendingtoward each other at an upward inclination.

4. A device of the character described comprising a fixed frame composedof parallel side-bars, dogs pivoted between the side-bars and extendingupwardly toward each other, means forv raising the free end of one ofsaid dogs, yokes on the opposite ends of the base frame, a connectingbar between said yokes, a movable frame sup ported between the yokes andguided'thereon, said frame comprising parallel spaced side-bars,oppositely disposed dogs pivoted in'said movable frame, means forsupporting the dogs at an inclination to the movable frame, linkspivoted between the side bars of the movable frame, and means mountedupon the frame of the machine and engaging said links for raising andlowering the movable frame.

5. A pipe lifting'device of the character described, including a baseframe having parallel side bars, the side bar on one side of the framebeing formed in two sections spaced from each other to permit theinsertion of a pipe, supports on the ends of the base frame, atransverse cross bar on said supports deflected at its middle topartially surround the pipe, a bowed member detachably mounted upon thecross bar opposite said deflected portion to partially inclose saidpipe, a movable frame guidedby said supports and comprising spaced sidebars, one of said side bars being formed in two sections to permit theinsertion of a pipe, a sleeve detachably connecting said sections of theside bar, dogs on the base frame and on the movable frame for engagingapipe,

and means mounted on the supporting frame for-raising and lowering themovable frame.

6. A pipe lifting device of the character described, including a baseframe, connected supports on the ends of the base frame, a movable frameguided by said.

supports, a lever for raising the movable frame relative to the baseframe, and dogs on the base frame and movable frame for engaging thepipe.

7. A pipe lifting device of the character described, including a baseframe having parallel side bars, the side bar on one side of the framebeing formed in two sections spaced from each other to permit theinsertion of a pipe, supports on the ends of his THOMAS MONROE SMITH.

mark Witnesses:

G. G. OALLENBAOH, R. H. BURGESS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

